A PEACTICAL JOKE. 115 



drew a stout cord from his pocket, and, having tied 

 one end of it to the sleeper's foot, fastened the other 

 end to the collars of a couple of dogs, which were 

 lying by. He then began to rouse the sleeper from 

 his nap, by means of a succession of shakes and 

 punches, and as soon as the visions of the slumberer 

 were effectually dispelled, a glass of brandy and water 

 was offered him, when, of course, he at once rose to his 

 feet to take it. 



At that moment, by a pre-concerted arrangement, 

 the horns were blown, when immediately up sprang 

 the two hounds attached to the cord, and down sat 

 the victim of the practical joke in the bed of a rivulet, 

 by the side of which he had been dreaming. The 

 brandy and water was dashed into the stream, the 

 gentleman's powder-flask was damped, and a great 

 deal of damage done, but the rough joke had the de- 

 sired effect, and the soaked hunter never afterwards 

 played any tricks with his comrades. 



The yarns related by the backwoodsmen are some- 

 times excessively ludicrous, and too improbable to 

 bear sober repetition. To be effective, they must be 

 told under the canopy of heaven, while a pile of huge 

 blazing logs lights up the circle of sun-burnt bearded 

 faces, as well as the gleaming ivories of Jumbo and 

 Sambo, who, with Day and Martin polished skins, 

 stand by grinning with delight at every joke, good, 

 bad, or indifferent. 



I 2 



